Introduction by Jayaram V

Dakshinamurthy (also spelled as Dakshinamurti) Upanishad
belongs to the Krishna (black) Yajurveda. It is a Saiva Upanishad,
which extols Lord Shiva in his aspect as Dakshinamurthy, the world
teacher. The theme of the Upanishad is that the knowledge of Shiva
is liberating and blissful. Such knowledge is revealed to the qualified
ones by Shiva himself in his aspect as Dakshinamurthy, the World
Teacher. The Upanishad is presented to us as a conversation between
sage Markandeya and some pious people, including Saunaka, in the
land of Brahma (probably western India) during a fire sacrifice.

Markandeya explains to the gathering that the cause
of his blissful state was the knowledge of Shiva, the Supreme Self.
That knowledge came to him through Shiva only as Dakshinamurthy.
While everything is dissolved or withdrawn into himself at the time
of the dissolution of the world, Shiva would remains blissfully
self-absorbed, containing everything within himself. The sage then
reveals three secret mantras of varying lengths associated with
Lord Shiva to attain the blissful state. He suggests that they should
be chanted during meditation keeping the form of Shiva in the mind.
Regular mediation with these mantras would lead to the knowledge
of Shiva and liberation. The knowledge of Shiva is the knowledge
of the Self and with that comes liberation. The following is an
original translation of the Dakshinamurti Upanishad by P.R. Ramachander.
Hope it will help you to understand the significance of Shiva as
world teacher and source of liberation.

Translation

Aum ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish
us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
Aum ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

1 Aum. In Brahma Vartha (Land of Brahma), under a banyan
tree called Maha Bandira, many sages including Sounaka had assembled
to perform a Sathra fire sacrifice. They approached sage Markandeya
wearing samiths (dried twigs of banyan tree) as gloves and asked
him, “How do you manage to be a Chiranjeevi (One who does not
have death) and how are you always in the happy state?"

2 He replied, “This is because of the knowledge of the most
secret philosophy of Shiva. This very secret Shiva philosophy
by which Shiva who is the Dakshinamurthy, becomes some thing
which is not visible to others. He is that God who at the time
of final deluge, who keeps every thing else within himself and
shines because of the pleasure of his own spirit. The secret
mantras about him are as follows: Brahma is the sage, the meter
is Gayathri and the god is Dakshinamurhy for this mantra.

First Mantra of 24 letters: After telling “ Aum”, tell “Namo”
and then “Bhagavathe Dakshinamurthaye”, then the fourth form
of “asmad” viz “Mahyam”, then “medham Pragnam”, then the root
of wind “ya”, added with “chcha”, followed by the name of wife
of fire God “swaha”. This is the mantra with 24 letters. That
is “ Aum Namo Bhagwathe Dakshinamurthaye Mahyam, Medham Pragnam
Prayacha Swaha!”

3 Then Dhyanam (thinking abut the form in the mind, when
mantra is chanted). I salute him who is white like a crystal,
who holds in his hands, a chain of pearl beads, the pot of nectar
which is the form of knowledge, and the mudhra (symbol) of wisdom,
who ties himself with a snake, who wears the moon on his head
and who wears different type of ornaments.

4 Second Mantra of nine letters: First Say “ Aum”, then the
first vowel with the visarga and in the end ell Panchakshari
with visarga in the end, and this gives the Navakshari mantra
(nine letters mantra). That is “ Aum Aam Aa Sivaya Nama Aum!”

5 Then Dhyanam. Let the three eyed god who does only good,
who has in his three hands, the sign of protection, deer and
axe in three hands and fourth hand kept on his knee, who has
tied a snake on his body, who shines white like milk, who sits
below a banyan tree and who is surrounded by sages like Shuka,
gives us pure thoughts.

8 Then Dhyanam: Let the God Dakshinamurthy, who has a white
body due to application of holy ash, who wears the crescent
moon on his head, who holds in his hands, Jnana mudra (symbol
of wisdom), beaded chain, Veena and books, who wears all ornaments,
who wears the elephant hide, who resembles the meditating Rama,
who sits on the throne of explanation and who is being served
by great sages protect us always.

9 We have to see that lamp of wisdom, which burns with renunciation
as oil, devotion as wick and which shines in the full vessel
of wake up state.

10 In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahma prayed this
Dakshinamurthy, and obtained the capacity of creating beings
and became very happy. He became blessed after getting what
he desired. That Brahma therefore has become a devotee as well
as somebody who deserves our devotion.

11 The one who reads this philosophy of Shiva with understanding,
would get rid of all his sins. The ones who know this truly
will attain salvation.

Aum ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish
us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
Aum ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

Here ends the Dakshinamurti Upanishad belonging to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda.

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